I agree with others, I would not do it. He doesn't sound like a good match for you and like you said you don't want to stress out your current dog. The fact that he is a smaller dog will help him find a home quicker. If you still wanted to help him out look to see if the shelter would let you cover his adoption fees for his future family. I know of some shelters that do this and it does raise the dogs adoption chances.

I used to think that when it came to protection Josh was too people friendly and Murphy was too scared to do anything. But now I think, depending on the situation, they would probably do something. Especially if they were together.

They also create a big fuss whenever someone comes up to the door but once we let the person inside they are fine and are very friendly. Though I have seen how they have acted when they are caught off guard protecting the turf. A few weeks ago my brother came home after a camping trip & was wearing a hat, Josh did not recognize him and began growling and barking very deeply. There has also been a few times when I have come pretty late & the boys were in a different room and would come out growling & upset. Of course once I started talking they turned to mush.

If someone did break in I doubt Josh would ever actually attack someone, Murphy might if the person really scared him or possibly if someone tried to hurt me (he is very protective of me). They would create a lot of noise that is for sure. I do think if I was attacked while walking them that there is a greater chance they would both bite. One time when we were walking, a man (dressed almost all in black) was running behind me when he went to pass us and came very close to me. Josh had been watching this guy the entire time and as he got closer he began to growl (totally surprised) and when the man passed by me both dogs barked loudly and lunged a bit! The only time that has ever happened. I know not the best behavior but I will say it made me feel more safe walking them.

What a great thread! I read most of these but skimmed a few so sorry if I repeat any.

"If a dog comes from a shelter or rescue and they act shy or scared in any matter than they must have been abused in the past."
I will admit that 9 years ago, when I wasn't as dog savvy, when we got Murphy we assumed that because he was a scared and nervous dog that he must have beat him in his previous home. In reality I don't think they treated him very well (they brought him to the shelter thin & badly matted) but I don't think they abused him, I think he was just greatly under socialized.

"All dogs from shelters have issues."
I have heard this a million times! Ugh.

"Dogs/cats with black fur are more aggressive, shed more and are worst for people with allergies."

"So your dog is mean?"
I get this when after I ask people not to stick their face in Murphy's face because he might nip (I have to tell this to everyone who meets him because they all have the need to do this for some reason). No he is not "mean" he just gets stressed out because you are seriously invading his personal space.

"It is OK I understand dogs" or "Dogs love me!"
When I used to volunteer at a shelter I would work with a lot of super shy dogs & I would get this all the time when I asked people not to touch the dog I was working with. I worked for over 6 months with a semi-feral cattle dog once who was only able to be in her room & go in a small yard because she was too fearful. I spent a lot of time with her trying to get her to be comfortable on walks. After a bit we had moved on to her being comfortable walking to the front of the building & sit with me for a bit, this took a lot of treats & time. One day a guy walked up to us & I asked him not to touch her he then said both of those above things and then went on to pet her roughly and stick his face in hers. Scared out of her mind she pulled the leash out of my hand & ran to a back door. It took us a long time to get back to her being comfortable outside. I was so mad!!!

So glad you found some better news with the second vet. I have met a few dogs with spinal cord injuries and almost all of them continued on with happy lives. I hope your boy continues on the road to recovery, best wishes during this hard time.

I used to always give them some of whatever I was eating but it turned them into awful beggers (they still are) so I had to stop that a few years back. They still get bits once in a while especially when it is meat. And Josh looooooves fruits & veggies so if I am eating some I will almost always give him some, I have seriously never seen a pup who loves fruits & veggies as much as he does. He goes nuts for them! If I am eating fries or popcorn they usually get some too. And everytime we go to the local ice cream place we get two "puppy cones" (small vanilla cones) for the pups. And when I am eating ice cream at home I let them lick the bowl.

I give them dentastix on a pretty regular basis mostly because they were the only chews Josh really liked, and they have actually helped his teeth a little. My parents are always buying milkbones or some kind of store brand treats because they have coupons. I get the healthy grain free treats when I can but the others usually win out because they are cheaper.

Probably the worst thing I have let me eat is the fish food we feed our pond fish. In the summer when we use it more, a lot of it will get dropped outside of the pond and the dogs are happy to clean it up.

There is a Petco very close to our house so that is where we usually go. I am starting to like it more because they are cutting back on the animals they are selling (no more birds!) and have instead started promoting cats for adoption. I used to go to a two other pet stores near our house, Land of Paws & Waldo Pets, but I stopped because they both sold puppy mill puppies (Josh was actually purchased from Paws by my grandfather which explains a lot). Waldo Pets was also kind of gross and a bit run down, and the employees at Paws were so snobby & rude.

Recently I found a great new store that I totally love! It was started by a lady and her two rescue dogs, and every food she sells is is super healthy and she also bakes her own treats right in the shop! Nicest lady too, really knows her stuff. And they don't sell puppies which is always a plus for me.

Teddy that is awesome to hear!! I have always been a fan of the show, and I love Tia! I have missed it lately, haven't been able to watch the newest season but my mother & sister (who I got addicted to it) keep me in the loop. I used to watch Pit Boss but it just kind of got annoying to me, they didn't focus much on the dogs and it was very scripted.

I know you guys mentioned having pitties on a sitcom, does anyone watch Parks and Recreation? They have a (3-legged) pittie on there! The dog is called Champion (her real name is Lucy) and even though she isn't on every episode she has been on there quite a bit and is shown to be very loving, sweet, gentle and smart! NBC even put a great slideshow with information about her on their website, you can check it out here. It made me love the show even more! Hopefully other shows will follow in it's foot steps.